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PHIALDELPHIA – The La Salle men's swimming and diving program is ready to kick off the 2012-13 season with tomorrow's home dual meet against Drexel. The Explorers look to continue its success from last season with the addition of a large and talented freshman class.

“Both teams look to build on the success of the 2011-2012 season,” said head coach Matt Nunnally.  “A great preseason of work has built an atmosphere of enthusiasm around the teams for the upcoming season.  The men's team has shown tremendous potential to be a podium contender at the A10 Championships.”

The men's squad saw four swimmers crowned 2012 Atlantic 10 Champions in four different events. The men's 200 medley relay of Daniel Fitzgerald, Blase Szyszko, Ed Carnes, and Austin Thomas started the meet off with a bang after a decisive victory that broke the school record by nearly a full second. Fitzgerald went on to claim gold in the 100 yard backstroke in a school record time of 48.68, breaking his own record of 49.11 that he set in preliminaries. Szyszko asserted his dominance of the breaststroke events in the A10 Conference, earning victories in both the 100 and 200 yard breaststroke.

Senior stand-out Blase Szyszko earned an incredible summer experience as he competed in the 2012 American Olympic Trials held in Omaha, Neb. Szyszko first qualified for the 200 yard breaststroke at the Middle Atlantic Senior Championships on July 22, 2011 after touching the wall in 2:20.72. Szyszko picked up his second cut in the 100 yard breaststroke at the Princeton Olympic Trials Qualifying Meet on March 4, 2012 after posting a time of 1:04.68.

The men's swimming and diving squads have added eight freshmen to the roster this season, half of which consists of international students from three countries. Cameron Edling, brother of 2011 La Salle graduate and swimmer Kieran, adds to the tradition of Canadian athletes to join the swimming and diving program. Jonathan Cabral joins sophomore countryman Stefan Sharpe as representatives for Trinidad and Tobago. South Africans Justin Hughes and Johan Roth made the long voyage to Philadelphia to swim for the Explorers this coming season. Jake Chielli, Marcus Cloutier, CJ Gimpel, and Michael Stein round out the rest of the freshman men for the Explorers. In addition to the new freshman, sophomore transfer Taylor Jeronis joins the swim team after competing for St. Bonaventure his freshman year.

Returning seniors to the men's squad include Zach Anderson, Brian Batson, Fitzgerald, and Szyszko.

The Explorers begin their season at home against Drexel on 20 October and end in Geneva, Ohio at the 2013 Atlantic 10 Championship on 20-23 February. The swim and dive program has a total of eleven meets during the course of the season including the 2012 USA Swimming Winter Nationals held in Austin, Texas beginning 29 November.

The Drexel meet will be streaming live with multiple cameras and broadcasters. Tune in at 1pm on goexplorers.com for full meet coverage.